Steam iron



' March 7, 1950 E. RAKOS 2,499,835

STEAM IRON Filed Dec. 8, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 HIS ATTORNEY March 7 1950 4 RAKQS 2,499,835

} s'rmu. mow Filed Doc. 8. 1945 s Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR:

tg mssr limos C HIS ATTORNEY 4 March 7, 1950 E. RAKQS 2,499,835

s'rmu mom I Filed M. a. 1945 l s Sheets-Sheet :5

INVENTOR:

C i I g HIS ATTORNEY Prams Mar. 1, 1950 STEAM IRON Ernest ltakos, Bronx, N. Y., assignor to National Engineering Company, New York, N. Y., a copartnership consisting of William Rome. Samuel Rome, and Tillie Home Application December 8, 1945, Serial No. 883,743

SClaims.

This invention relates to electric irons and particularly the combination of means in an electric iron for supplying steam, and especially dry steam, to materials being ironed.

Irons of this typea're generally known as steam irons, although electricity is used as the heating agent, however, the electricity is considered aminor element, as steam is sometimes supplied by other means.

Steam irons originated in the garment industry where comparatively large irons are used continuously and some are directly connected to steam generating boilers whereas others have boilers incorporated therein to which water is supplied from time to time as the water is deplated.

Steam irons have many advantages because the danger of extreme heat is eliminated and in addition a very slight degree of moisture may be supplied to the materials being ironed obviating the necessity of sprinkling.

At the present time there is an increased demand for steam irons, particularly in the garment trade, because a large portion of garments now in use are made wholly or at least partly of synthetic materials, which are readily damaged by extreme temperatures. However, as the use of synthetic materials is becoming universal, the useof steam irons is also spreading to the home where a comparatively small moist or dry produces moist steam, without water or con iensation, it is not necessary to sprinkle garments before ironing, although with too much moisture in the steam materials may be dam"- sged.

This invention, therefore, particularly relates :0 an iron having a steam generating chamber from which the steam may be injected into grooves in the ironing face of the iron through in evaporator in which excess moisture or any :ondensation in the connection is removed.

The invention also contemplates the combina- ;ion, in a steam iron, of means readily turning in steam heating agent on and of! at will where,- )y steam is generated only ,as desired, and also liltOlllfl-UC means for turning the said heating merit of! when use of the iron is discontinued.

The invention also involves the combination ,of the usual main heating element, having a thermostat for controlling the heat of the sole plate, and an auxiliary heating element for the steam chamber which is provided with suitable controls whereby the steam chamber element mayormaynotbeusedasdesired.

The life of steam irons is normally limited because scale formations in the steam chamber reduce the area thereof and as scale formations are poor conductors of heat they cause ineiliciency in heating; and therefore in this invention means for substantially eliminating scale is provided.

Steam irons have also been found objectionable because the steam connection is taken directly from the steam generating chamber and water in the chamber splashes out through the connection and is elected with the steam, and for this reason this invention contemplates the use of a steam dome from which the steam connection is taken and in which the dome is packed with glass wool or the. like to prevent water splashing into the said steam connection.

Steam irons have also been found objectionable because operators forget to turn oi! the steam heating element, which causes the wa ter to boil out and the iron to burn, and this invention includes the use of a button for automatically turning oi! the steam generating element when use of the iron is discontinued and the iron is placed in a stand or the like, the button being so positioned that it will be ensued and operated to break the circuit when the iron is stood on end.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a combination electric and steam iron of the type normally used commercially in which means is incorporated for controlling the moisture of the steam and for turning oil. the steam generating means as desired and when the iron is not in use, thereby making the iron adapted for domestic or household use.

The iron includes the usual domestic iron thermostat by which the heat of the sole plate may be controlled to provide diiierent degrees of heat and which will shut oil when the temperature exceeds a predetermined degree,and also independent means in the electric circuit for turning the heating; agent-oi the steam chamber onand oiiat will.

One of the objectionable features of steam irons, which prevents their use in the home, is the size of the steam chamber. This is generally packed with glass wool or the like and necessarily relatively small so that it must be filled quite frequently. In the iron of this invention, the steam chamber is relatively large and substantially open the glass wool being only in a dome above the boiler, whereby the internal area may be considerably increased and the periodic filling time materially lengthened. Providing means for tuming the steam generating agent on and of! at will also extends the time before refilling the steam chamber is required because steam is only generatedandusedwhentheironisinuse.

Another objection to steam irons is that the filling opening is located at the highest point of thesteamchambersothat the entire chamberis filled with water and the water splasha into the outlet causing wet steam. In the iron of this invention, the upper side of the steam chamber slopes and the filling point is located at a low point whereby the water will overflow therefrom before the chamberv is completely filled, thereby preventing completely filling the boiler, and eliminating the danger of water entering and being discharged through the steam connection.

The steam generating chambers of steam irons are so arranged that the heat is applied at the base and when the water is low violent boiling occurs. To prevent this, the iron of this invention has incorporated therein heating elements which convey the heat from the base upward into the water thereby providing uniform heating.

Various devices have been provided for indicating from the exterior of steam irons the amount of water in the steam chamber and, as water gauges are expensive and therefore objectionable for irons of thLs ype. thermostatic elements are usually provided, which burn out and break the circuit when the water is depleted, and replacing these elements, which are usually located at some inconvenient point, is very objectionable. The steam iron of this invention, therefore, contemplatestheuseofrollersinthesteamchamber which perform a double purpose in that when the chamber contains water they will roll silently but when the water is depleted they will cause a rattling sound, thereby warning the o erator that the water has been used. These rollers also, by their movement in and around the boiler, tend to dislodge scale formations, preventing accumulation thereof on the inner boiler surfaces.

The object of this invention is, therefore, to provide a steam iron, such as is normally used commercially, for domestic use in which the size of the iron is reduced and at the same time the area of the steam heating chamber increased.

Another object of this invention is to provide in a combination electric and steam iron means for breaking the circuit to the steam generating means when use of the iron is discontinued,

Another object of the invention is to provide means for removing excess moisture from the steam as it is used.

A further object of the invention is to provide a steam outlet connection from the steam chamber in which means is provided for preventing water splashing into the said connection.

A still further object is to provide in a steam chamber for irons and the like a filling opening located below the high point of the chamber through which water will overflow, preventing filling the steam chamber completely.

With these and other objects in view, the invention embodies a steam iron, having a base or sole plate. a steam chamber above and spaced from the said sole plate having a sloping upper surface, heating elements for said base and steam chambenmeanscontrollingtheheattothesdd heating elements, a steam connection from a steamdomeofthesteamchambertogroovesin the face of the sole plate, an evaporator in said steam connection, an auxiliary switch adapted tobreakthecircuittothesteamchamberheating elementasdesiredandwhenuseoftheironis discontinued, means conveying heat upward throughtheinteriorofthesteamchamber.and meanspreventingscaleandthelikeformingon theinnersurfacesofthesaidsteamchamber.

Various other more detailed objects and advantages of the invenflomiuchas ariseinconnection with carrying out the above noted objects inapracticalembodimentwillinpartbecome apparentsndin partbehereinafterstatedasa description of the invention proceeds.

For a full and more complete understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following description and accomp nying drawings. wherein:

l'igm'eiisaviewshowinsasideelevationof tbeiron.

Figure 2 a a similar view with parts broken away showing the interior construction of the l'igmeSisafrontelevationoi'theimnshowing athinnbrestontheforwardpartofthehandle.

l igureiisacrosssectiontlu'oughtheironwith part of a bailie plate therein broken away.

Figure 5 is a plan view showing the steam grooves in the face of the sole plate of the iron.

l'igumoisanupperplanviewoftheironwith the handle removed.

Figure 'l is a wiring diagram showing the combination circuitsintheiron Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts. the iron is formed with a sole plate II. a shell Ii and a handle it.

The sole plate II is of the-usual typehaving a' olntllinthefrontandastraightedgeor heel Nattherearandintheforwardpartis an opening ll, communicating with V-shaped grooves ltandllasshowninl'lgures2andli. Drysteamissuppliedtotheopeningiland fromarecess ilatthelowerendthereofthe steamisdistributedtothegroovesltandil andfromthesetothematerialbeingironed.

Thesteamisgeneratedinaboilerorsteam chamber it in the upper part of the shell II, and this chamber may be of any shape or design and incorporated in the iron in any manner. In the design shown. it is spaced from the sole plate ll, providing an open air chamber 2. between the sole plate and steam chamber. and in this opening and directly associated with the sole plate II is the main heating element Ii, which corresponds with the usual heating element of an electric iron and which is connected across the power lines SI and ti. Above this element andclosely associated with thebaseofthesteam chamber it is the steam generating element H. which as illustrated in Figure 'l. is also connected across the power lines SI and It through wires "and". 'Ihewireflisprovidedwithaswitch 2! adapted to be operated by a button 20 at the backoftheironasshowninl'iguresland2.

The circuit of the element II is provided with the usual thermostatic element 21. which may be set to provide different temperatures by an indicator llpositionedontheuppersurfacsof accuse the shell ii and connected to the element 21 through a post 20. The elements ii and 22 may be connected through wires SI and ll to any suitable source of electric current, the wires extending outward from the shell through the usual coil connection 32. The elements Ii and 2! may be covered with layers II and N of insulating material as shown in Figure 2.

Steam generated in the chamber ll passes upward into a steam dome ll and through an opening 36 in a tube 31. The tube which may be surrounded by glass wool a. or the like. to prevent water splashing into the opening extends downward to an evaporator 3!, which, being positioned between the two heating elements, is relatively hot and condensation dropping therein from the tube will be readily evaporated. The dry steam from the evaporator will then pass through a connection ll to the opening II in the sole plate from which it will be distributed to the grooves l8 and I! as described.

The chamber I 9 is provided with a transverse bailie I having openings therethrough, which prevents swishing of water in the chamber backward and forward as the iron is used. The chamber is also provided with heat-radiating elements 42, which maybe located at various points in the boiler, and being positioned with their lower ends closely associated with the heating element will convey heat upward through the water providing even distribution thereof and thereby preventing violent boiling of the water when the water is low in the boiler. Rollers or balls I are also provided in the boiler which are free to ro l back and forth to break scale formations, and these are also used to provide a rattle with the backward and forward motion of the iron to indicate that water in the boiler has been depleted.

The chamber I9 is also provided with a iilling opening ll, having a plug 5 therein that may be removed to fill or drain the boiler.

The handle l2 may be of any type or design and the forward end may be formed with coolin fins -45 and on the upper part is a thumb rest II as shown in Figures 1 and 3. The rear end of the handle is provided with a projection, as shown, which cooperating with the end of the body of the iron provides a rest so that when not in use the iron may be stood on end with the forward end extending upward. When the iron is placed in this position, the button 2., associated with the heating element of the boiler will strike a surface upon which the iron is placed and the surface will cause the button to move from the position shown in dotted lines of the drawing to that shown in full lines which movement will turn of! the circuit and thereby break the circuit of the heating element 22.

The sole plate Iii of the iron may be formed with a small button opening 48 in the forward part to expedite ironing around buttons and the like.

The construction and general arrangement of the iron will be readily understood from the description. In use the iron may be provided as shown and described, and with water in the boiler the current may be turned on to heat the sole plate and generate steam and the steam will pass upward through the glass wool in the dome where it will enter the connection 31 and pass downward through the connection to the evaporator. Any moisture in the steam will be removed by the evaporator and the dry steam will then pass downward to the grooves in the face of the sale 6 plate from which it will be applied in vapor form to materials being ironed. While in use, the button 26 may be in the downward position shown in Figure l, and when less steam is desired, thh may be snapped upward to the position shown in Figure '2 to break the circuit to the steam heating elemen t,-or, should the iron be stood on the end, or in a stand with the projection at the lower end of the handle and the back of the body of the iron resting upon a flat surface, the surface upon which it is placed will engage the button II and automatically snap it upward and break the circuit to the heating element of the steam chamber. The iron may be shaken or moved backward and forward rapidly at intervals to determine whether or not the boiler contains water and should the water be depleted the rollers in the boiler will cause a rattle. The iron may also be used as an electric iron without the boiler by breaking the circuit to the steam heating element with the butten 26.

While a preferred specific embodiment of the invention is hereinbefore set forth, it is to be clearly understood that the invention is not to be limited to the exact construction illustrated and described because various modifications of these details may be provided in putting the invention into practice within the purview of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a combination electric and steam iron, comprising a sole plate, a heating element immediately adjacent the inner face of said sole plate, a steam boiler spaced from said sole plate and a heating element immediately adjacent the underside of the bottom of said steam boiler, the heating elements for said sole plate and boiler being spaced apart. means conveying steam from the said steam boiler to the face of the sole plate said means controlling the moisture of the steam said last-mentioned means including an evaporating chamber arranged between said heating elements and included in said steam conveying means.

2. In a combination electric and steam iron, comprising a sole plate, a heating element immediately adjacent the inner face of said sole plate, a steam boiler spaced from said sole plate and a heating element immediatel adjacent the underside of the bottom of saldsteam boiler, the heating elements for said sole plate and boiler being spaced apart, means conveying steam from the said steam boiler to distributing grooves in the face of the sole plate, and means evaporating condensation in the said steam said last-mentioned means including an evaporating chamber included in said steam conveying means and arranged between and receiving heat from said heating elements.

3. A steam iron comprising a sole plate, a heating element associated with the sole plate, a steam generating boiler spaced from the said sole plate, a heating element associated with the said boiler, a housing enclosing said boiler and heating elements, a handle on said housing, a thermostatic heat control switch connected to said first-mentioned heating element and adjustably regulated by a button on said housing. and a control switch independently associated with the boiler heating element and effective with the thermostatic heat control switch to complete a circuit through both of said elements, said boiler characterized'by' means including radiators for distributing heat Nov. 10. 1521 I095- 10. 1525 Jun. 14, 1525 M. 4, 1541 Sq. 2. 1541 MI- 1542 In. I, 15 5hr. 22. 15

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uxtspodtlon with the UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name 1,046,591 Hickmott Dec. 10, 1912 1,055,512 N101: July 29, 1913 1,216,511 Inflel 1'51). 20, 1917 

